The wonders of Robotics flourishing in Philippines: A gem to be admired

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippines, being home to people with huge interest in Science and Technology, does not lag behind other nations when it comes to robotics, which is done with the ability to tinker with various materials and craft these into functional gadgets to perform a variety of tasks without direct human interventions.

One of these outstanding Filipinos in robotics is Engr. John Judilla, who led in the making of the Mechanical Anti-terrorism Concept (MAC). Made of aluminum, fiberglass and plastic materials, MAC – -equipped with a mobile arm that can lift objects weighing up to 11 pounds – is designed to disassemble and remove bombs planted by terrorists. This Filipino invention is very useful for law enforcers against terrorism.

The wonders of robotics are also evident in drone making. The team of Engr. Matthew Cua and his team at SkyEye Analytics have worked and still working on robotic drone applications for use in agriculture, fishing, disaster mitigation, land surveying, flood control and analysis, and infrastructure development.

These breakthroughs are just some of the many testaments to the capabilities of the Filipinos in robotics. Students have also created robots for competitions worldwide, and emerged winners or on top of the lists.

One is 16-year-old high-school student Claire Renosa, who won a gold medal for her Humanoid for Educational Reinforcement Operation (HERO), a robot that prevents obesity of domesticated animals by using a weighing mechanism to automatically release the quantity of food.

Renosa also built MATER, a mattress that produces electricity to charge mobile phones when dogs and cats play on the mat. Both robots placed her third in the 2017 LEGO League Open European Championship.

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The Philippine Robotics Team topped the International Robot Olympiad in Bucheon, South Korea in 2015, and in the 2014 World Robot Olympiad held in Moscow, Russia.

In 2013, three robots named ProGrow, ProTrek and ProTek, which assist in maintenance and protection of farming fields, won the 12th PRO and went on to compete international levels.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Department of Education (DepEd) have been providing knowledge and classes about robotics to Filipino students. Philippine Robotics Olympiad Organizer Mylene Abiva launched the Philippine Robotics Academy, an integrated robotics curriculum implemented in schools.

DOST Secretary Fortunato De La Peña himself believed robotics is one key to transform the nation into an intelligent society. With many breakthroughs, the Philippines have produced an admirable gem in robotics, putting the country now closer to the zenith of prosperity. (FREEMAN)